He was so much more than a Camera Man.

You’ve probably seen more of Bradshaw Smith’s work than any other actor, director or producer in town.  But you also probably didn’t know his name.

He was just “Bradshaw” to most and after a very successful career as a cabaret artist in the 80s, he retired to the other side of the biz and picked up a video camera.  And for the next 30 years, he never put it down.

Bradshaw was responsible for shooting and editing more B-Roll and commercials than almost anyone else in town, and he also gave birth to Broadway Beat, the first cable television program all about Broadway.

And this past Saturday afternoon, at the age of 57 (!), Bradshaw passed away.

Bradshaw worked on a bunch of my shows and literally lived and breathed his work.  His midtown apartment was also his editing studio.  Every time I visited to finalize an edit, I was always overwhelmed by the stacks and stacks of tapes of some of the greatest shows in Broadway history that lined his walls.  Yeah, it was his job to have all that stuff.  But that’s not why he kept them.  He loved Broadway with a passion and his profession was just a way for him to capture those moments that he loved so much and keep them closer to him.

You deserved a much longer run, my friend.  A much longer run.

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